practical phd

One of my graduate students recently asked me about my research journal so thought I would share what I use it for.  I started one at the end of last spring semester with the idea to make space to reflect on research, but it has become so much more.  Here are the things I have been writing about in it:

1. Reflections. This is the most common form and comes in several types.  Some reflection entries are spontaneous free writes about how things are going.  Sometimes I am reflecting on a specific practice or approach I am taking and whether it’s working or not.  After a conference, I might write about the experience or what I learned.  Some more structured reflections I’ve done include responding to a set of questions at the end of each week.  I also use reflections to check in on my emotional responses to research.  For instance, when I feel blocked in my writing, I journal to try to identify why. 
2. Prompt engagement. A lot of the research process related podcasts, books, and newsletters I listen to and read offer reflection prompts.  I keep a running list of prompts I want to come back to on my phone and pull the ones I want to engage with when I have the time to write.  This has included a lot of great prompts from Cathy Mazak’s podcast and book, as well as the AcWriMoments newsletter. 
3. Planning. While most of my planning and semester priorities are on my computer, I have found it helpful to put pen to paper to map out things. This has included timelines, to do lists, semester and yearly plans, and daily schedules.  Most of this has focused on research activities, but I have also written about boundary setting (so I have time to do my research work) and self care (so I am my best to do the work).  
4. Organizing. I also map out my broader research pipeline in my journal.  Sometimes this is to look at the subject areas my research is covering and how each project connects to my research agenda.  But other times it is to explore the balance between sole authored, first authored, and on the team research projects.  I have also done this kind of journaling to map funders to research projects. 
5. Brainstorming. My writing to document ideas has included potential collaborator lists, funding ideas, and new project ideas.  
6. Problem solving. When I get stuck in a research project, my journal is a space to think it through or write it out if you will.  I have done this to work through an unclear piece of feedback from a reviewer, a puzzle in connecting seemingly disconnected literatures, and to nail down specific concepts. 
7. Drafting. While I don’t draft content for my research writing or grant applications in my journal, I do draft things like tenets for my career and my academic mission statement.  These drafts are closely tied to thinking about my longer term career goals and vision. 
8. Notes. Last but not least, I take notes on writing books and research process related podcasts and newsletters in the journal.  In some cases, this includes writing out quotes that stood out to me or responding to prompts. 

Regardless of what I am focused on, the journal gives me a space to unleash what is on my mind and think through some of the trickier aspects of maintaining a research pipeline with multiple moving parts.  While I have tried it in the past with a Word document, it’s been particularly helpful to have a physical book and a pen to move myself out of my typical writing form, slow down (or I can’t read what I wrote), and even change my work setting.  I’ve found it so useful, I’m already on my second book!